Palacios

Sited on what was once the British settlement of Black River, PALACIOS lies just west of one of the Río Plátano Biosphere Reserve’s three coastal lagoons, Laguna Ibans. This is frequently the starting point for organized trips to the Río Plátano Biosphere Reserve, and, for independent travellers, a logical place from which to begin exploration of the region.

Dotted along the Caribbean shoreline around Palacios is a cluster of interesting Garífuna villages, including Batalla, just to the west of town across the Palacios lagoon, and Plaplaya, about 8km to the east, where a turtle project has been established. Highly endangered giant leatherbacks, the largest species in the world (reaching up to 3m in length and 900kg in weight), nest in the beaches around the village between April and June. Rais Ta and Belén are also worth visiting.